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The Principal's Desk!
Greetings Families,
I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving break! Please take time over the next couple weeks before winter break to recognize any members of our staff using FCPS Cares. This is a quick and easy way to recognize our teachers and staff. A couple meeting reminders for next week:
- 12/8 - PTA Meeting @ 7:00pm
- 12/10 FCPS School Board Meeting - Return to School Update - 6:00pm
It was great to visit classes this week and see students working in groups to create their own morning meetings, learning how to draw using an overlapping technique, learning water color techniques, reading in small groups using breakout rooms in Google Meet, and using their communicator (Portrait of a Graduate) skills.
Feel free to call our main office 703-279-8400 or reach out to me directly at cmsmith@fcps.edu if there is anything we can do to help.
Thanks for your support,
Chris Smith
Daniels Run ES Principal
Parent Technology Help Desk: 1-833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS)
Family Guide for Return to School
DRES Parent Portal
Watch Mr. L's videos for students
Watch Mr. L's video for parents
Winter Break Treat from The PTA!
The PTA wants to send our students into Winter Break with a little care package. There will be a drive-through pickup at the main entrance of Daniels Run on Wednesday, December 16th from 4-6 pm and on Saturday, December 19th from 10 am-12 pm. Please come by and get your cozy gift from the DRES PTA!
Hour of Code
During the week of Dec 7 - 13 our school will be participating in the hour of Code. The Hour of Code gives us all a chance to dive into the world of code writing and practice those skills that help us to write effective code. Our students will be given time to practice their code writing skills at the end of their instructional day during their independent study time but we encourage you to take time as a family and explore the resources found on this site. HouofCode.org
Find out more here also - https://hourofcode.com/files/hoc-one-pager.pdf
Let's Meet Our Staff!
Brooke Nichols
Hi, I’m Brooke Nichols, the school counselor for grades K-3rd. I’m excited to work with our Daniels Run Elementary students again this year! Your student will see me presenting a lesson every week and occasionally twice a week. When I’m not being a school counselor, you’ll find me outdoors when there’s nice weather. My family loves camping, hiking, fishing, boating etc. I’m here to help so please don’t hesitate to reach out! My email is: bcnichols@fcps.edu
Louise Robinson
Louise joined the Daniels Run Staff as a school counselor in August 2018 but worked for FCPS previously at Mountain View Alternative High School starting in 2008. Before that, she worked for 10 years as a counselor at the university and community college level. Louise’s husband, two sons, and dog Emma keep her busy outside of work and they love to travel as a family to new places—such as England, Scotland, and Ireland. After the pandemic, the next destination is Italy and Spain! When she has free time, she really enjoys hiking, cycling, and yoga as well as scrapbooking. Her happy place is the beach 😊
Special Education Parent Newsletter
The Department of Special Services (DSS) publishes a regular electronic newsletter for parents of special education students to provide updated DSS information, tips and ideas to support you and your family during distance learning. The latest issue is available online.
Attendance Matters!
Every year, absences spike in the weeks before and after winter break. It’s time to break that cycle. Give your child the gift of attendance and help build a habit of attendance.
- We recognize that holidays are an important time for reconnecting with families far away and exposing your children to your home and language, whether you grew up in another part of the United States or a different country. The price of plane tickets often influences when you want to travel. But keep in mind the costs to your children’s education if they miss too much school.
- Make sure your child is in school every day, right up until vacation starts. Our teachers will be teaching, and our students will be learning. But it’s harder to teach and it’s harder to learn when too many students are absent.
- This year, Winter Break is December 21-January 1. We hope to see all our students in school through December 18 and returning to school on January 5.
Positivity Project!
Next wee, we'll begin learning about the Other People Mindset (OPM) element of Knowing My Words and Actions Affect Others.
This OPM element means that everything we do, say, text, tweet, snap, or post can positively or negatively impact other people. According to research from McKinsey & Co, “the typical American hears or reads more than one hundred thousand words every day.” Think about that for a moment: 100,000 words every single day. Now, stop and ask yourself, “Are the percentage of words someone else hears or reads from me helping or hurting that person?” As Rachel Wolchin says, “Be mindful with words. A string of some that don’t mean much to you may stick with someone for a lifetime.”
This week's example is the students and staff from Grand Blanc High School and West Middle School in Grand Blanc, MI that led the "Coronavirus Challenge." The video, featuring Todd Babiasz, Joshua Tewolde, and Quinn Hilliker highlights the importance and impact of knowing that our actions can positively impact others -- especially during times of crisis. As Todd Babiasz explained, "I wanted (the students) to continue thinking about serving other people...(and know) that they're not victims to this, and that they can be producers of something positive."
Music News!
KARAOKE: THIS Thursday!
The next Daniels Run Karaoke Hour will be this Thursday at 4pm. The theme will be pop music! Due to popularity, 20 students were randomly selected from the students who entered the “Karaoke Lottery.” Join the Karaoke Google Classroom here to join in the fun this Thursday and cheer on our student performers!
FCPS Cares!
FCPS CARES is an opportunity for staff, parents, students, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others. Every month, a nominated employee from each region and Central Offices will be recognized as an FCPS CARES of the Month recipient. We’ll share their names in Employee News, and they will also have access to a new FCPS CARES banner for their profile photo in Outlook. Watch this video to learn more about FCPS CARES. We also encourage you to acknowledge a staff member who has gone above and beyond
Is Your FCPS Laptop Running Slow or Having Connectivity Issues?
- It is important to RESTART your FCPS laptop daily. If possible, go to an FCPS site once each week or every other week, log in and restart your laptop twice. Doing this at an FCPS location on the FCPS network allows your computer to get valuable and necessary updates. Most high and middle schools have internet reception in the their parking lots which allows you to get these updates without leaving your car. At Crossfield you will need to sit on the bench in front of the school to get internet connection.
- More help for troubleshooting other issues you may experience can be found on FCPS’s website: Tech Support for Families. It may behoove students to bookmark this site, as it will help solve most common problems. Obviously we want our students to have the best experience possible in this virtual environment!
New Employment Opportunities in Fairfax County Public Schools: Classroom Monitors
FCPS schools and centers are hiring classroom monitors to provide in-person classroom assistance for students when some staff members continue to work virtually. If you would like more information about the position, review the job description online and apply if interested. Please share information about this opportunity with anyone else you think may be interested.
FCPS Is Seeking Individuals to Serve as Substitute Teachers
Are you or somebody you know interested in substitute teaching with FCPS? Apply online or attend one of our Friday information sessions to learn more. To sign up for a session, visit the FCPS substitute teacher information page.
Parent/Student Tech Support Portal
To support families who are working with their children during distance learning, Fairfax County Public Schools is launching a new Parent Technology Help Desk. The number is 1-833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS). It will be answered by staff 7 a.m.to 11 p.m., seven days a week. If the help desk is unable to solve the issue on the phone with the parent or guardian, they will enter a ticket on the parent’s behalf and the request for help will be transferred to the appropriate FCPS team.
Parents or guardians who need help in a language other than English should let help desk staff know, and a interpreter will join them on the line. (FCPS also has existing parent information phone lines, available in eight different languages, that can assist with general questions about FCPS.)
FCPS has also set up an online portal to allow older students and parents and guardians to request technology help directly.
Get more information about the new Parent Technology Help Desk.
Office Hours - Appointment Only
The Daniels Run office will be open daily. Office hours are daily from 8:00am- 4:30pm, appointment only. Visitors will need to call the main office line, 703-279-8400 to schedule appointment. Thanks!
PTA NEWS!
PTA Meeting - Tuesday, December 8th - 7 pm
Please join us for the next PTA meeting next week via Google Meet (meet.google.com/vrg-bwas-bdn).
Dine for Dollars with PTA - Thursday, December 10th - MOD Pizza
Dine at MOD Pizza anytime on Thursday, December 10th and 20% of your total comes back to the PTA. You can participate by take out, delivery or pick up. To place your order online, use the code GR164864D.
Important Dates
December 8-PTA Meeting
December 10-Karaoke
December 10-Dine for Dollars at MOD Pizza
December 21-January 1-Winter Break
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